Duckside Hands-On Preview: DayZ and Rust-Inspired Open-World Survival…But You’re a Duck

Survival games like DayZ or Rust remain hard to beat, but Duckside presents an interesting challenger. Developed by tinyBuild Riga in Unreal Engine 5 with producers from Hello Neighbor, Duckside is a new persistent open-world survival game where ducks have become combat-trained. Taking the fight to both humans and fellow mallards, I recently went hands-on with the beta. So far, it’s a quacking good time.

I respect that Duckside doesn’t justify its unusual premise. There are currently no flimsy narratives or ridiculous origin stories explaining why ducks can suddenly wield weapons or craft tools. All we know is that they’ve become tired of being hunted and began fighting for freedom. Unfortunately, these new birds of prey can’t shake those territorial instincts between each other. This island has become a fierce battleground, offering 50-person servers and PvE against human NPCs across a day and night cycle.

Using ducks over humans provides unique perks, and the flight mechanics feel great. Some issues with draw distance are noticeable, though tinyBuild confirmed this will be addressed as development progresses. Regardless, taking to the skies feels like a breeze. The stamina system ensures you can’t reach unreasonable heights. Landings are usually smooth, yet even fliers can take fall damage, so this requires some precision. Sure, flying makes you an easier target and you could take evasive action. Getting the drop on enemies is considerably more fun, and shooting others when flying is surprisingly entertaining.

Arming yourself should be your first priority since leaving the nest unprepared can have dire consequences. Crude options like a crossbow work in a pinch, though ducks have arguably never been more terrifying than seeing one with a sawed-off shotgun. Shelter is another essential consideration when everyone wants to kill you, and location is just as crucial as building quality. While flying across the map is both quick and convenient, being on the island’s fringes isn’t ideal but neither is making yourself an easy target. Crafting a nest secures a respawn point within your base.

Basic materials are fittingly obtained by pecking objects like trees or rocks alongside abandoned storage cans. I enjoyed how Duckside incentivises moderation as over mining a tree can cause it to collapse, alert other ducks of your presence. Item blueprints can also teach you new recipes for item crafting, but researching new items comes at a cost, so you must use your resources wisely. Key items can be obtained by raiding human outposts like the port area or an abandoned swimming pool, a risky proposition that feels suitably rewarding when you succeed. If you get complacent, well. As the old saying goes, duck around and find out. Since intruders could storm your base at any point, keeping these materials hidden is essential for long-term survival. I learned the hard way that death empties your inventory.

Of course, you can’t stay hidden forever like a lonely duckling. Fortune favors the bold, and I appreciate how Duckside stops you from becoming too comfortable. Alongside a hunger meter, bases eventually deteriorate, though they can be upgraded for increased longevity. Using a persistent server means anything you have could be gone when you next return. Some might scream fowl play, though it’s a welcome challenge. Getting too greedy could turn you into someone else’s golden goose, so put those materials to good use while you have them.

One of Duckside’s more enjoyable server-wide objectives involves the shrine. You can initiate a sacrifice using white feathers collected by killing other ducks or by offering hunters licenses obtained from humans. That creates a parachute airdrop filled with supplies that everyone can see across the map to effectively encourage a risk vs. reward situation, though I never saw this directly.

You could go it alone but Duckside’s a game best experienced with others. Squadding up and working towards a loosely defined common goal, likely involving resource gathering and raiding someone’s base, is highly entertaining. My session with the developers ended on an explosive notepad and despite a successful base infiltration, my celebration was brief. To my amusement and despair, I completely forgot about nests allowing respawns and immediately paid the price.

Alone, that likely would’ve been frustrating. As a team effort, it was hilarious and tinyBuild’s take on open-world survival has teeth. Even though it’s an early bird, Duckside shows considerable potential and I’m keen to see how this premise expands. A release date remains unconfirmed but you can jump into the open beta eggsclusively on Steam today.